


Reunion

by RandomTexanReader



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Hanging of a child soldier referenced, Lu Ten (Avatar) Lives, Lu Ten Earthbender AU, One Shot, lots of talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:35:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26227261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomTexanReader/pseuds/RandomTexanReader
Summary: Inspired by:https://lbibliophile-atla.tumblr.com/post/627223123572473856/we-never-hear-any-mention-of-lu-tens-mother
Kudos: 28





	Reunion

Iroh left the back room with the now-empty tea pot, smiling to himself. It was good to see Zuko with real friends, dreaming and laughing and talking of rebuilding the world. It gave you hope. 

The bell on the door jangled and he turned to tell the customer that they were just about to lock up, could he give him something for the road—and barely heard the pot shatter on the stone floor. 

A moment later he recovered himself and dropped to his knees, apologizing as he picked up the glazed pieces. “An old man,” he explained, “sometimes in tricks of the light-“

“Father?”

Behind Iroh, Zuko slammed open the door, Aang close on his heels, alarm in his voice. “Uncle, are you—“ He saw the man who had come in, and his jaw dropped.

Iroh held out his palm towards the two, looking up at his son’s face. 

“I looked for you,” he said simply.

“I know, Dad. I’m sorry.” 

Taking a deep breath, Iroh returned to the teapot shards, placing them in the pockets of his apron. “No, Lu Ten, I’m sorry. I didn’t teach you as I should have, and I was afraid...” he took another deep breath, closing his eyes. “I just wanted to know that you had found peace.”

Lu Ten stepped forward. “Dad, I didn’t want to hurt you like that, I didn’t want to go, but I had to, and now, I just... I just want you to forgive me for leaving.” 

Standing, Iroh smiled sadly at his son. “There’s nothing to forgive. I know you didn’t want to go, and I didn’t want to lose you, but it wasn’t up to us.”

“Uncle Iroh?” Aang said softly, “That’s not a spirit.”

Lu Ten stepped forward, putting both hands on Iroh's shoulders. They were warm and solid, living hands of flesh and blood. "Dad, it's me. I'm here."

Iroh put his hand over Lu Ten's. It was real. He looked into Lu Ten's face. It was the same features, the same look, but now, he could see, slightly older, the way a memory's or a spirit's wouldn't be.

Tears springing to his eyes, he whispered his son's name, and Lu Ten smiled, pulling him into a hug.

His son was alive. He was alive, and he was here. 

Finally releasing Lu Ten from his embrace, Iroh wiped his eyes and turned to Zuko with a smile, which died upon seeing the look on his nephew's face. "Zuko-" he began.

Without a word, Zuko crossed the dining room in a few strides and dropped the bolt into place, turning to face them. “You owe us an explanation,” he rasped, sounding like his grandfather. 

“There’s time enough for that later,” Iroh put in hastily, “Why don't--"

“No!” the young fire lord shouted, and shoved an accusing finger at Lu Ten. “You were dead! Uncle mourned you, we all mourned you, and then-“ his voice cracked and he stopped, hands trembling. "How dare you," he whispered, and then shouted again, "How dare you show your face now?"

"Zuko," Aang said, "Maybe take a deep breath?" Katara and the others joined him in the doorway. 

"Stay out of this, Aang!" Zuko snapped, still scowling at Lu Ten. "I said, I demand an explanation!"

"Um, me too?" Sokka piped up.

“What’s going on?” Toph asked, exasperated, “why is Zuko yelling at some Earthbender?” 

Iroh and Zuko looked at Toph, and then at Lu Ten. 

“You’re not...” Iroh began, but Lu Ten was already shaking his head. 

“I'm sorry. I didn’t learn myself until we were already at the front, Dad, otherwise I would have told you, but during the siege, I-“ he stopped, then began again. “All those times I thought I was just clever, or intuitive, or lucky, it wasn’t just luck, Dad, it couldn’t have been. And one day I tried, and—“ he gestured helplessly, looking at Zuko. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, “I couldn’t... I couldn’t take the chance.” 

Iroh put a hand on his arm and turned to the others. “Aang, Toph, everyone, do you mind leaving us for a while? This is a family matter.”

The children exchanged glances and then began to file outside without a word. Zuko made as if to follow.

"Zuko," Iroh said, "The whole family." 

Zuko hesitated, exchanging a glance with Sokka, and then closed and locked the door behind his friends. "I'll make some tea," he said quietly, walking back into the kitchen.

Iroh nodded thankfully, and guided Lu Ten over to one of the tables. Lu Ten sat in one of the chairs, and Iroh on the bench across from him. "An Earthbender," he said mildly, and Lu Ten nodded, looking down at his hands. "I wonder if your mother ever suspected," Iroh mused. 

"I never did," Lu Ten chuckled, "Even when we came to the front, for months, I didn't have the slightest clue. It seems so obvious in hindsight, all of the times I felt what they were doing before I could see or hear it, but it didn't occur to me for the longest time. Then I thought I must be going crazy, imagining things because of being on the front for so long, but it kept on happening."

Zuko came back out of the kitchen, carrying a fresh pot of tea and three cups on a tray. He served it without a word, and then joined Iroh on the bench.

"Finally I decided that I had to know, that I had to try. I snuck away from camp one night, and took off my boots, and I tried one of the punches I'd been watching the Earthbenders doing for weeks. And the boulder split."

Lu Ten sighed. "It was the best feeling in the world, and then it was the worst. I was on top of the world, I saw myself bringing down the walls of Ba Sing Se single-handedly, an Earthbender at the head of an army of Firebenders, but then I knew what would happen after that. What he would do to me, what he would do to you, having an Earthbender son, how quickly Ozai would take advantage. I couldn't let that happen." He was silent for a moment. "It was cowardly of me," he finally said, "I should've told you what I was planning, but I was scared."

"Lu Ten," Iroh said gently, "I hope you weren't scared that I would--" 

Lu Ten was already shaking his head. "No. Never," he answered firmly, "And that was part of the problem. Grandfather would have known you wouldn't do anything to me, so even if I didn't tell you, when he found out--" he grimaced. 

"The only good thing Ozai ever did was kill that bastard," Iroh said, and Zuko looked at him with surprise. Iroh winked and bowed his head with mock reverence. "Honor be upon Fire Lord Azulon's great name," he recited piously, and Lu Ten snorted.

"You didn't know him like we did," he explained to Zuko, "You would've been too young. I didn't realize myself until I was about the age you are now, but he was a vicious man." 

Iroh shook his head. "He must have been deeply unhappy. It's curious, I feel that the older I get, the more I understand him, and the less sympathy I have for him."

Lu Ten nodded, then asked, "Ozai killed him?"

"I think he made my mother do it," Zuko put in, and Lu Ten's eyebrows shot up. 

"Aunt Ursa?" He looked at Iroh. "I guess it really is the quiet ones. But then that explains why Ozai became Fire Lord. We didn't hear for years, I was shocked that it wasn't you, even if you hadn't defeated Ba Sing Se."

"Well, Ozai just seemed to want it so badly, and I always did spoil him," Iroh commented dryly, and then asked,"The body they brought me?"

"Some poor Earth kingdom soldier who happened to look like me. It was easy enough to switch clothes and leave him behind after the next battle." Lu Ten sipped his tea. "I managed to slip in with a few other refugees about a week later, and I've been in the city ever since." 

"Just like that," Zuko said disbelievingly.

Lu Ten nodded. "Well, I think they got a lot stricter a little later on, but being an Earthbender kind of helped the whole "not a Fire Nation soldier" disguise." He leaned forward on the table towards Iroh. "But what happened after I left? I only ever heard a few rumors here or there."

"When they brought me your body--his body..." Iroh shook his head, gazing into the golden depths of his tea. "It broke me." He stopped, thinking back to those dark days. "I had been trying to ignore it for so long, but it stripped the blindfold from my eyes. Every body left on the field, every man or boy, was someone's son, and I--" He covered his eyes. "Only three weeks in to the siege, you remember, we had that deserter?"

Lu Ten nodded, saying nothing.

"He was so young," Iroh whispered, "Just a child, and he just wanted to go back to his mother. Spirits forgive me, he was so young." 

"Dad, you had to. It was war."

"I was a killer," Iroh said quietly, "I was crazy, and I had to go down." He dropped his hands into his lap. "At the time the only thing I worried about was that he might be too light, that he wouldn't break his neck with the drop. I made them put him in chains." He shook his head. "Someone's little boy. Knowing that pain for the first time, knowing what I had inflicted on so many parents, what I was inflicting on so many more... I realized what I had become. And I couldn't take it." He could feel Zuko and Lu Ten's eyes on him. "I wanted to die. And, in a way, I guess I did." 

He fell silent. Looking for a life beyond the grave, he had stepped a little too close to things best not spoken of, even in the light of day. He shook his head again, then resumed. "By the time I came home, Ozai was already crowned. I didn't have it in me to fight, not anymore, so I swore fealty to him and tried to find what of my life was still worth salvaging."

"And liberated Ba Sing Se," Lu Ten chuckled. "I still can't get over that. What was it like, being able to bring down the wall with a single blow?" 

"It was like riding a hurricane. All the other regrets of my life aside, I was able to do that much." 

Lu Ten nodded, then sighed. "I wish I could've been there."

"If you had, I wouldn't have been." Iroh patted Lu Ten's hand. "Let's not spend time on what could have been."

Lu Ten nodded again, then turned to Zuko, tapping his left cheek questioningly. "You seem to have been through a bit yourself."

Zuko scowled. "I lost an Agni Kai."

"To Ozai," Iroh put in softly.

Lu Ten swore softly, and looked at Zuko. The boy had gotten used to the looks of horror and pity from anyone who heard the story, but Lu Ten's expression was one of fury. "Let the man rot," he said, and Zuko pulled his cup of tea closer to himself, setting his jaw.

"I intend to."  
  
“I’ve been keeping busy.” Lu Ten tried to hide his grin, but failed. “You’re a grandfather.” He turned to Zuko, a little uncertain. “I guess that makes you a second cousin?”

“First cousin once removed,” Zuko murmured.

“A three-year-old girl, and a new one on the way.” Lu Ten smiled down at his tea cup. “My wife’s father is a potter, a good one, one of the finest in Ba Sing Se. I work for him, and he’s teaching me everything he knows so I can take over the business some day.”

Iroh beamed. He was a grandfather! "Do you live near here?"

"Not far, maybe fifteen, twenty minute's walk," Lu Ten told him, then looked up suddenly. "What time is it?"

"About five minutes from dusk," Iroh said, then anxiously, "You don't have to go, do you?" 

"I do, actually," Lu Ten said, standing. "I'm sorry, I didn't know how it would go when I saw you, and I promised my wife I'd be home by dark."

Iroh stood as well. "You'll come by again tomorrow, at least?"

"Of course, Dad." Lu Ten took a small token from his belt and put it in Iroh's hand. "In fact, I want you to come with me for dinner with my family. This is the sign for the potter's shop, but I'll be by tomorrow to take you there myself." He hugged Iroh again, and they walked together to the door. 

Iroh unlocked it, then put his hand on his son's arm. "Lu Ten, I do have one question for you, and I need you to answer me honestly."

Lu Ten looked into Iroh's eyes, his face grave and open. "Anything, Dad."

"Are you happy?"

"Yes." Lu Ten smiled. "Yes," he said again, "I'm happy."

Iroh nodded and smiled back. "Good." He wrapped his arms around his son again--his son, Lu Ten, alive and well and prosperous and happy, thank the spirits for their mercy to an old man, happy--and then finally released him. "I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked, and Lu Ten nodded.

"Same time tomorrow." 

Iroh watched him walk away. At the end of the street he stopped and turned to wave goodbye, and then turned and disappeared from view. Taking a deep breath, Iroh turned and walked back into the shop. 

Zuko was standing by the window, looking out through the shutters, his face impassive. After the door was closed, he asked, “How can you forgive him so easily?”

“He’s my son,” Iroh said simply. 

Zuko shook his head. “I’m sorry, Uncle, I’m happy for you, I really am, but I just keep on thinking about how it all went wrong after he died. How everything was ruined. About how none of it would’ve happened if he hadn’t...” Zuko turned to Iroh, anguish on his face. “Every time I look at him, all I can think is that it’s all his fault.” 

Iroh’s heart broke, and he pulled his nephew into a hug. Zuko buried his face in Iroh’s shoulder. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice muffled. 

“No, Zuko,” Iroh told him, “you have nothing to be sorry about.” 

Pulling back, Zuko scrubbed at his eyes. "I don't know why I'm so angry at him," he said miserably, "I know why he had to do it, I know it wasn't his fault, I know I should be happy that my cousin's alive, but I'm so angry, and...." he trailed off.

"You almost wish he had stayed dead," Iroh said gently, and Zuko looked at him, eyes wide with shock. Iroh chuckled and patted Zuko's arm. "It's alright. It's only natural to feel angry. Death has a way of absolving our loved ones, but if it was all a lie..." he shrugged. "Lu Ten did hurt you, he hurt us all, and though the arrow was not aimed, the wound is just as real." Zuko furrowed his brow, and Iroh clarified, "Just because we can't blame him for it, doesn't mean we weren't hurt." 

Zuko nodded, then sighed. "I'm going to bed," he said softly, and Iroh patted his arm.

"I'll sit up a little later. I have a lot to think about. You can leave the clearing up to me."

Zuko nodded again and left. Iroh picked up the half-empty tea cups, placing them on the tray, smiling to himself. His son had been returned, and with his own family to boot. It was good to be a father again, and a grandfather. It gave you hope.


End file.
